Majority Rules. Rethink!

About a month ago Tejashree, my student, remarked that if something wrong is endorsed by a majority it cannot be termed correct. Everybody present there acknowledged the fact but it escaped my mind and I forgot it. So I thought. Last Monday, while jumping a red signal I found majority of my fellow passengers doing the same and bang came the remark from Tejashree straight into my mind!

And along came certain incidents in the mind which are done by the majority but cannot be justified. Let’s have a look.

Ø  Majority of motorists jump red light. It facilitates if the policewallah is not there (I’m a habitual offender as well). It is illegal but since majority does it, should it be legalized?

Ø  Majority of us spit and throw garbage in public places. This is not only unhygienic but also uncultured. But since majority does it, should it be considered an act of hygiene and culture?

Ø  Majority of us give bribes to get our jobs done quickly. Again it is illegal but since majority does it, should it be legalized?

Ø  Majority of us love to take tobacco in some form or the other. Tobacco is a major reason for various ailments. But since majority does it, should it be considered that consumption of tobacco leads to better health?

Ø  Majority of us are jealous of success of others, known and unknown alike. Jealousy is not one of the virtues one expects to be present in one’s moral fabric. But since majority does it, should a rethink be done on the moral virtues one need to possess?

Ø  Majority of the students get marks in and around 50%. That means they don’t know almost half of what was taught or at least half of what was asked in the examination. But since majority does it, should 50 be considered the new 80?

If we were to answer these questions, majority will say NO. But then why are these repeatedly done by the same majority which does find them immoral & illegal?

So, what we find is that majority does not rule always!!! On a serious note since even a slim majority (not absolute (66.66) or even simple (50)) can get a wrong person or thing to be in the right place, we must chose correctly!

The Fate of Education in India

Last few weeks have been controversial for the Indian education sector. Narayan Murthi stated that most of the IITians are not industry worthy and the reason for this, according to him, is the mindless mugging and innumerable tricks learnt at the coaching centres. IITD director came with a thought that there was a need to rethink over the entrance tests. Concerned to this an article of Chetan Bhagat appeared. He says that it’s so difficult to run education without profit. And when profit takes the upper hand, education downslides. He hence concluded that there was need of private players like Infosys to launch themselves into the education sector. And lastly, Maharashtra government launched a state wide search and fact finding mission in the schools and junior colleges to find out how many students had been inflated by schools to siphon out government money. The analysis is still awaited.

I being a teacher am a part of this sector as well. And every day after each lecture, a thought always crosses my mind that whether I’m helping my students to become engineers or just graduates with degrees which would fail to serve them in their life.

Ours being a new college, we certainly have not received the cream of the students but reading Mr. Murthy’s comments about majority of IITians being in the same league gives me little solace and a lot to wonder. I wonder what exactly has gone wrong with our education system. I’m no expert but I’d like to make some observations of my own.

What I’ve observed in my students that they have lost inquisitiveness. They accept everything on face value and never question nor argue over anything I teach! Experts are talking about lack of quality research in India. How will that be possible if the questions have dried in the school days? Kids who are not interested in anything from Akbar to Atom cannot be expected to research on Strings when they grow up! It’s not that they are dumbos or fools but they are really not interested in knowing how anything happens. They are happy with what is going on. They neither want to be part of something new nor want to effect a start themselves. And it’s sadly everywhere! Observation + inference gives knowledge. When the first two are fast depreciating how can the third exist?

I strongly admire the government’s wish to get all kids to have compulsory education upto middle school (class 8^th). But can anybody explain how that can be achieved and justified by never failing them upto class 8^th and that also by assisting them with having no examinations at all. As far as I know, if I’m told at the beginning of any race that I won’t lose and I would get a bag of goodies if I just participate, I would cease to take enough efforts to win. So will be the story of maximum students. How can this goodie bag not bring complacency and help to lose concentration and eventually the interest to know. Education is no privilege which can be enjoyed. It’s a right which has to be earned. Yes, help may be provided in earning the right but to serve it on the platter and spoon feeding will spoil the menu!

Next is the idea of free higher education. Free education in government schools can be understood as it aims at students from under-privileged families to get a foothold in the disparaging society. But providing technical education at a sum as paltry as Rs 1000 is not digestible. Even if the government wants to help the students from underprivileged social and economic background, they shouldn’t give it for a sum like this. When the money factor is detached from education, students stop valuing it. A commodity (education) which is available for the price of a pair of jeans is certainly going to be valued in the same manner    . Charge them Rs. 10000 and see how many more students start valuing their education!

In India across the rural and urban framework what stands as a symbol of unity in the education sector are the coaching or tuition classes. Yes, the same which Mr. Murthy so dislikes. The whole town of Kota is dedicated to this cause as are few whole nagars in Delhi and Chennai. It is very hard to say that apathy of teachers towards teaching brought the success of tuitions or the tuitions brought the lack of interest in the teachers. Whatever be the cause it’s the ultimate truth that students cannot dare to think about succeeding in any exam without tuitions! And tuitions being a business where survival depends on the success rate of the students, the tuitionwallahs are forced to resort to methods which will teach shortcuts to answer quickly and efficiently. And this really takes a toll on the overall knowledge of the student. Personal attention should be showed to weaker students. But all that should be done by the teachers of their respective schools and colleges in the institution’s premises free of cost.

Whosoever has given any exam knows that it is more a memory test than a test of one’s knowledge. When I was in X^th, there used to be questions where we had to apply our analytical reasoning to at least 30% of the questions. But it’s all gone now. Everyone is hell bent to find more and more ways to shower marks on the students for what they haven’t exactly done. These freebies weaken the entire moral fabric of the students and the zeal to work hard to achieve success is decreasing rapidly. I’ll again say make them think. Life is not as easy as the examinations nor will the career they would undertake. As Aamir Khan said in 3 Idiots that one would be able to scrap through the examinations and get a degree but will be raped for his entire life.

Another problem with the students is that they are becoming aimless. Their lack of thinking has made them like a flock of sheep. They are following just the trend. Engineering has almost done away with basic sciences, arts and commerce as educational options. Who are unfortunate not to get into engineering (40% in PCM being the criteria it’s not that hard), take BBA, BCA or some other professional course. Medicine is the only course which still has a large pool of quality students who love their studies. In most other courses, majority of the students are just pushing through. They neither understand nor enjoy their studies. In the name of providing higher and technical education we are not creating intelligent horses but drab and unworthy white-collar mules. This reminds me of one encounter I had with a boy from Bihar at IUCAA, Pune.

The guy was a brilliant physicist. We just got into talking and I asked him in passing that even though Bihar produces a large number of IAS and IPS officers and has a major share in the applicants clearing various competitive entrance examinations from Banking to Railways, how it has such a miserable literacy rate. He replied that the Biharis are indeed an intelligent set of people. They find out right in the school that whether they have the potential to be an IAS or a cowherd. He also added that whatever profession they choose, they excel in it and try to be right at the top. He also lamented at the condition of other states’ students who because of lucrative educational facilities, fall prey to them and become the white collar mules I mentioned before. They are too proud to do a job below their belt and ill-equipped to perform the tasks which their degrees mention they will be able to perform!

I’m right now a novice and may not be able to rectify the system as a whole but would surely try to instill my views and thoughts into my students. Even if one in 300 wakes from their deep slumber, it will render a change. I learnt it quite late but I hope my students understand it early (Alas! They are fast losing this faculty)!

Chair Fever

Aspiration for a chair, both literally and symbolically, has been a human trait from time infinitum. And everyone is entitled to harbour such an aspiration and take steps to achieve it. The chair is surely a seat of supremacy. It separates one from the rest. It provides one with a platform where one can be on his own. The chair provides security and great power. And with great power comes great responsibilities.

George Bernard Shaw said,

Power doesn't corrupt man. Man corrupts power.

The chair, a seat of power, also tends to be corrupted by individuals who take the success straight to their cranium. When a man cannot cope with his new found success, he starts feeling all others around him to be inferiors and treats them as his slaves. This absolute abuse of power not only degrades him in the eyes of his subordinates but also in his own eyes, if he choses to introspect even once.

The succession of a colleague to the post of one's superior is not always met with exhiliration and jubilation. There is always a tinge of sadness and jealousy when that happens. But there is always a satisfaction and belief that as one amongst them has been raised he will try to solve the hardships, which he had suffered when he was a junior himself.

But more often that not it has been seen that the new "chairholder" forgets all about his past and tends to abuse his power. This trait of human nature is really beyond any comprehension!

It must be remembered that a given chair provides one with a certain set of powers in a certain organisational setup. Outside the setup everyone is a nobody. There one has equal opportunities as the other bystander. The dynamics are completely different there. There would be a chair supreme in that setup which may or may not approve of the supremacy of the other chair!

Remember life is a vicious circle and at the end of a day one is surely going to be paid back in the same coin that one has spent.

A chair provides one with a certain set of powers but its the "respect" which one craves for dearly. But this craving cannot be satisfied with vicious actions. It's not something which  can be begged or asked for. It can neither be snatched nor be looted. A person gets only that much respect as much he spends on others. The one and only way to get respect is to give respect. In any other case one is surely going to be doomed.

So, one must use the set powers attached to his/her chair wisely and respectfully because,

हम ही हम हैं तो क्या हम हैं

तुम ही तुम हो तो क्या तुम हो !

A Letter to the Prime Minister of India

Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

           

            Your recent actions have gained you enough brickbats and there is a huge hue and cry terming you as a 'weak PM', which I believe is a serious allegation against the topmost political chair of this country.

            When you became the prime minister in 2004, I remember my father saying that the country will prosper now as this man was instrumental in bringing liberalization and  globalization in the Indian economy during his tenure as the then Finance Minister.

            You came to this august seat with enormous respect and belief. People believed that you as PM will bring the same strength to the administrative set-up as you had brought to the economic set-up in your tenure as then Finance Minister.

            And your first tenure as PM actually evoked faith in you. Sixth Pay commission strengthened the hopes of the people especially the Indian middle class. It's true that you spoke less and had a laidback attitude, not expected from a PM, but your actions seemed pure.

            But what you've done in the last 2 years or so has earned you the unfortunate tag I mentioned above. You've always said that PM is like 'Caesar’s Wife' and hence above suspicion. I don't buy this theory. You have been more 'Brutus' if not 'Cassius'. Words speak a lot of the actions that are going in one's mind. They reflect the nature of the human being. You dear sir have not been able to utilize it to the full. You have given enough lame statements and defended your colleagues with a defense which nobody will neither believe nor accept. And even after 2G, CWG & Antrix, you've not mended ways and repeated blunders after blunders in the Ramdeobaba and now Anna Hazare situations.

            You come and make statements, only when coerced, and never answer the queries. Most of the time you've shifted the blame on somebody else and remained adrift. Why it is always that we find someone from your GOM giving the answers? Please learn from Mr. Obama. He replies most of the queries to his government himself. Answering is a sign of authority on one's part. It is the trait of a person who is in complete charge of his doings but it is not apparent from your actions.

            You seldom take corrective actions. And even when they are taken, they are too late and too little. Sometimes I feel was my trust and respect misplaced! Nobody questions your dedication. Your economic and foreign policies are better than others but as a leader you've certainly not succeeded. Shri. Arun Jaitley pleaded the support of the opposition if you develop the political will to fight. I also believe that as a human being you might not have lost it completely and if you develop the will to fight and not fall prey to 'Coalition Dharma' & 'Cunning Colleagues', you can indeed be one of the best premiers of this country.

            It's a time when all the members of the parliament are being labeled as corrupt and are being called as thieves and dacoits. People are losing their faith on you and your brethren. Isn't it your sacred duty as the PM of this country to take such measures so that your strength and integrity is preserved? And if you can do so not only the opposition but you will find the whole country rallying behind.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Yours truly,
A grieved Indian.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Nameless Friends

There are so many persons we meet while travelling. We get acquainted and share our time with them. When we reach our respective destinations, we alight and disperse in different directions never to meet again! But the moments we spend with them remain etched in our memory for long. In the 25 years I’ve live on mother earth, I’ve undertaken so many journeys and met so many different types of people. Some have been pleasure to meet; some have been just co-passengers and some just pain in the ass. The second category people get erased from your mind as soon as you alight. The third category is deliberately erased while the first category remains in the memory forever. I’m chronicling a few of such meetings. In most of them, I don’t remember the names and in others we didn’t bother to ask each other’s name.

Howrah-Mumbai Mail, June 2000

I was coming back to Chikhla with my parents and my brother after a month long vacation. We had four berths reserved to us. In the 8-seat coup, the other 4 berths were reserved to 3 Mizo girls and their guardian. I was a boy all of 15 and they were older by about 5-7 years. Almost everyone is fascinated when they meet people from North-East and we were no exception. The girls were on an India tour and were now going to Nagpur. When they came to know that we were from a place near Nagpur, they started chatting with us. For the records, at that time, I’d not seen Nagpur at all. So, my knowledge was very limited. Another hindrance was language. They had very less knowledge of Hindi and I couldn’t speak fluent English. But still we spent a quality 16 hours together. When we alighted at Tumsar Road, they came to the windows to bid us goodbyes. I felt a lump in my throat as I was leaving a family behind. After that I’d many Mizo friends and it was because of them my English speaking improved.

Azad Hind Express, June 2004

I was travelling alone for the first time and hence this journey has a big importance in my life. My parents had given me a load of instructions of what to do and what not to do on the train. My co-passengers were a family of three including a 5-year boy named Girish and an affable Bengali guy from Chandrapur. Girish was a sprightly boy who kept his parents on toe with his antics. The Bengali guy, whose name I forgot, soon befriended all of us and we started chatting. He even bought Girish an ice-cream. Girish’s mother offered us food which I neglected, as instructed. But soon the other guy forced me to eat and I conceded. Girish and his family alighted at Tatanagar. I went on to Howrah. It was because of this nameless friend that I was able to travel without fear and since then I’ve travelled alone all around the country fearlessly.

Khurana Travels, August 2007

This was one of the most troublesome times of my life. I’d failed to gain admission in Pune for my masters and had thoroughly rejected Nagpur as an option. I’d no idea what to do whatsoever. I’d a job offer with Infosys Progeon (now Infosys BPO) and I decided to go to Pune to join it. When I started from Nagpur at 9 in the night it was cloudy but by the time I’d reached Chikhli in Marathwada next morning, I was amidst a flood. We were stuck and had nowhere to go. But then the villagers of Dahigaon came to rescue and we had one meal at their village. They showed us the way to reach Mehkar Fata which was at an altitude and had food. The two days that I stayed there is one of the most trying days of my life. All the co-passengers became one family and supported each other. Only Airtel coverage was there and my phone became the contact for all present there. I don’t remember anybody’s name now but will always remember the kindness and love they showered on me.

Azad Hind Express, August 2007

I came back to Nagpur and went back to Pune after a week. I went to Infosys for the first two days of orientation but somehow didn’t find myself suitable for the job and left on the second day itself. I came to Pune station at about 3 PM bought a wait-listed ticket for Nagpur and waited in the station wondering if I’d made the right decision. I was unsure of my future and even about my next course of action. I boarded the train hoping to find someone who would allow me to sleep in the alley between the berths. I was lucky to find one uncle who not only helped me but on hearing my story soothed me as well. I was tired, afraid and confused but because of that uncle, I was able to reach Nagpur in sound mind.

Prerna Express, May 2010

 I was going to Ahmedabad for a PhD entrance at PRL. My ticket was RAC and I was happy because I was to share it with a girl. But the TTE played spoilsport and confirmed my ticket. My co-passengers over there were going on a trip to Udaipur. They were playing cards and were all in their banians and shorts. At first I thoroughly disliked them. But seeing my discomfort, they stopped playing. We soon became friends and they shared their tasty food with me. They were really nice guys whom I’d mistakenly thought otherwise.

ST Bus, December 2010

I travel everyday from Nagpur to college in ST buses. I read my newspaper all along the way and if not reading I sleep. I seldom take interest in the scenery outside or in my fellow passengers. But this particular day was different. A beautiful girl had nowhere to seat as all seats were full. The auntie beside me offered her to seat in between me and her. The girl was a chatterbox and she started chattering. Soon she took out her laptop and gave me a thorough demonstration of how to use it. But the battery decayed and she resorted back to chattering again. Suddenly she said that she needed to vomit and I readily gave my window seat (I never do that). She was feeling nausea and readily informed her mother and then her boyfriend. She kept on informing small details to both of them every 5 minutes. In the passing, I inquired her about her college. She laughingly answered that she will give her 10^th in the coming March. I was stunned and disappointed. But it still remains one of the most cheerful journeys I’ve undertaken.

ST Bus, 26^th January 2011

After the Republic day function, me and my colleagues had gone to Paoni to see Gosikhurd dam. After coming back from there, I started for Nagpur. About 5 Kms from Mauda, the bus came to a halt. There were vehicles all in front of us. It was the longest traffic jam I’d seen. Soon the reasons were known. A religious organization called Parmatama Ek was having its annual gathering near Mauda and that had caused this trouble. I was tired and was looking forward to rest in my room at Nagpur. Everyone in the bus was getting restless and angry. A beautiful girl was sitting just in front of me. She was also getting restless and she started asking questions. She was from Delhi was mostly speaking in English. I jumped onto the chance and started talking with her reassuring that soon the blockade will be removed and we will reach Nagpur soon. She was a nice girl and started talking to the old man beside her. He was first afraid to talk to her but soon became friends with her as well. We kept chatting and I never realized when the 3 hour journey (originally 1 hour) came to an end.

Hope to find such people again in my life.

Change of Guard but Will Bengal Change?

34 long years later Bengal is set to get a new party at the Writers’ (Mahakaran). Mamata Banerjee has done what leaders from Siddharth Shankar Ray to Pranab Mukherjee have been trying to do so for long. They were up against a party which was just impossible to dislodge. The man from Indira Bhavan, Jyoti Basu, was the shrewdest adversary they had ever faced. Even after his retirement, he was a prominent force behind the CPI(M)’s gains in Bengal. At that time it seemed impossible to remove them from the Writers’. But the deaths of Jyoti Basu, Anil Biswas and Subhas Chakraborty have really affected the party and ultimately have led to such a downfall.

My uncle’s family has been staunch anti-CPI(M). My grandfather seldom used to eat without cursing the incumbent government. I found it amusing and used to ask him what the reason of his anger was. He explained to me that people of Bengal love intelligence, education and prosperity. While the CPI(M) leaders were highly educated themselves, they were hindering the paths of the educated youth who were not toeing their line. Adding insult to injury, they were also closing down industries, mostly small-scale, which could have taken Bengal to new heights of prosperity. This led to mass exodus of educated and uneducated, skilled and unskilled persons out of the state. Thus, Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal) was turning into a garbage dump. And it was not only him but was the voice of many Bengalis who were living inside and outside Bengal. I reasoned with them if they were unhappy with the regime, why they don’t throw it out. They explained that CPI(M) was known to employ strong arm tactics and resorted to rigging during the elections. And hence it was impossible to remove them. And there rested the case.

In the last assembly elections, I was in Bengal. I am an ardent fan of Barun Sengupta, the late editor of Bartaman. He used to write elaborately about the misgivings of the government and how the public resented it and what they wanted was a change. Bengal was a case of trouble and even the Election commission accepted it as the last election was also a multi-round affair. Mr. Sengupta as well as all the Bengalis who wanted a change were sure that CPI(M) was to make an exit after 29 years. But the result stupefied us all. Not only the Left front won but it won with such a majority that the opposition was all but eliminated. Conventional rigging could not have taken place as the security arrangements were elaborate. Anti-CPI(M) people came with theories that “Scientific rigging” was the reason for the win. They said that the EVMs were tampered and whatever button you pressed the vote went to CPI(M)! Nothing could be proved but the joke about the tampered EVMs are doing this time as well. On Facebook you will find people commenting, “EVM gulo kharap chhilo” (EVMs were faulty)!

So, the result of 2006 proved one thing that CPI(M) were irreplaceable for whatever reasons that existed. But then Mamata came with her “Maa, Maati, Maanush” (Mother, Land and People) slogan and a successful Singur agitation helped her dent the prospects of CPI(M) in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. From that time, it was becoming apparent that a change was inevitable. Her stint as railway minister where she doled out sops to her home state helped her as well. But still there was a chance that CPI(M) could have stopped it’s derailment. Nobody knows Bengal better than them and nobody knows better than them how to rule Bengal! Also the Rajas and the Kalmadis provided enough opportunities to exploit (AIADMK has removed DMK on that factor) but it seems the death of the aforesaid leaders have crippled them beyond recovery. Mr. Karat would now need to answer a lot of questions as they have lost Kerala by a whisker as well.

“Badla noi Badal chai” (We want change and not revenge) were doing the rounds and they have got what they wanted. For the next 5 years they are officially going to be there. But now the million-taka question is that whether the new fellows will be able to rotate the wheels of prosperity which have been stationery and stuck for so long. Will the mass exodus of Bengali intelligentsia stop? Will the common man get better living conditions? Will the industries reopen? Will Bengal be back among the top states of India? Will Bengal change? Will Bengal again become “Sonar Bangla “?

13 has proved to be a unlucky number for CPI(M). Hope it doesn’t prove to be unlucky for the Bengalis. Let’s hope that they have not replaced one daemon with other.

Jai Bangla!!!

Pakistan: Life After Osama

It’s over a week now since Osama Bin Laden, world’s most dreaded terrorist, was killed at Abbottabad, Pakistan. It is still hard to believe and I for one waited for the news that the killed man was not Osama. No, I’m certainly not an Osamaphile but it is very difficult to believe that a man, such as him, will be killed in a gunfight that lasted only 40 minutes and that also in his own den.

But the amount of mourning going on in the Muslim world and especially in Pakistan does confirm his death. Also the constant bickering of Pakistani government, ISI and the Pakistani Military over the issue does favour the death of Mr. Bin Laden.

About two years ago I had written a piece on this very platform about how Pakistan was ailing with a disease called Islamic terrorism or Jehad and will sooner or later need amputation.(Pakistan: A grievous unsolvable jigsaw) Well it seems their most trusted aides, USA, have at least started to hover the knife over their head if not start the actual operation.

It would be foolish on anybody’s part to accept that the Pakistani upper echelon had no idea whatsoever of the ‘safe house’ just under their nose in a town where the military academy is just 500 metres away. Because if that be the case it would be wise for all the powers-to-be to step down immediately. But we all how that country is. It is a two-mouthed snake which feeds from both group of FIIs, Foreigners and Fidayeens, alike. It makes no sense when one day they say that they have been able to curb terrorism on their land and on the other day the chief perpetrator and instigator is found killed in the hospitality lounge of Abbottabad.

A joke that is doing the rounds is that whether or not Pakistan celebrates the death of Osama. Because since they have been party to the ‘War on Terror’, they should be happy but on the other hand they can’t as you don’t celebrate on the death of your guest and esteemed friend. This dilemma is killing them and hence they are coming out with all kind of bullshit theories and explanations. They are threatening India and even to some extent US.

It is now proven beyond doubt that the entire Pakistani machinery and not only the infamous ISI are not a party to the ‘War on Terror’ but are actually on the other team. They are the 12th player for that team or maybe are even in the playing 11. And this is known to US, their chief feeders. And that explains why they didn’t bother to inform their ‘friends’! From the 1950’s, US has fed them and used them as an outpost to counterbalance the rise of India, Iran and the erstwhile USSR. What they never imagined that they were creating a Frankenstein!

Pakistan nurtured well under US supervision and now has turned to new fathers, China, for further nourishment. It’s a failed state which has siphoned gazillion dollars into its system just to save it from India, which has not attacked them in any of the past 64 years. Instead of using the dollars for making a prosperous state, what they have done is created a country which no further needs any help to go downhill. It’s a country of poor and undereducated which suits in the best interest of the Jehadis. It’s in totality a fucked up nation. I’d thought that India may get a chance to play an important role in bringing Pakistan back from chaos and disaster. But it seems we will not get that chance. In between the jehadis of all hues, USA, China and their own butt headedness, they are not going to remove their hands off the ‘self-destructing’ button that they have pressed.

The death of Osama gives the nation to review its policies. But it seems they are never going to understand. God help the innocent souls of Pakistan who are neither a party to Obama and nor were party to Osama.

Small Town Rules: The Mahi Way

I’ve thought of writing this piece for long. But the South Africa debacle at Nagpur made me sit on this topic for this long. Now, as we’ve done the unbelievable, I’m free to use the title especially the one after the colon. I can’t still believe that we have won the World Cup ! The cup has been won because of the combined efforts of the whole team but the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni aka Mahi aka “Wizard of Ranchi” stands in a league of its own. His attitude, success and the approach are the actual inspiration behind this article.

In this country, prosperity and the paths to achieve it are mostly concentrated in few densely populated urban regions we better know as cities. There has been a mass exodus from the villages and small towns to the megacities in search of better education and employment. But I’m not concerned about this wide scale emigration. I’m concerned about the mentality which has been dubbed as, “Small town mentality”.

More than often it has been seen that when a person from a small town reaches a city he becomes susceptible of his own abilities. He is afraid to express himself. Maybe due to living in un-opportunistic locales have made them what they are. The lack of ambitions and the efforts to fulfill one, if any, brings self-inferiority and is the chief difference between a city dweller and a small town guy.

In the recent India-SA match at Nagpur, many were mesmerized by the new VCA stadium at Jamtha (It was the only non-capital city to host a match). Many asked Shashank Manohar, BCCI chief, that even though Nagpur has such a world class stadium why it has failed to produce a player of national repute. Mr. Manohar replied that it has to do with the attitude of the people of the region. They are content with whatever they get. This lack of aspiration is not just true for Nagpur but for all the small towns and villages dotted across the country. When you don’t aspire, your interest to perspire also reduces. And without perspiration there is no jubilation.

Another aspect of city life is the crowd. And here I don’t mean it only in the literal sense but also in the metamorphic sense as well. This “fight for survival” makes most of the city dwellers robust and their approach to life is one of to gain success at any cost. I’m not of the view that we should resort to unethical ways to achieve success but ethically permissible actions should be taken to achieve whatever we can.

And here is where I come back to Mahi. He has changed the way the country look towards persons from small towns. Now the people are saying that there is lot of talent in the small towns which need to be tapped. It’s not that the talent was not there (Statistically it has to be as 80-85% of the country lives outside the cities) but he is one of the factors to bring it forward. If he has been able to achieve so much it’s not only because of his hard work but also because he is not content and his Dil maange more.

So, let’s take a cue from him & never feel as underdogs. I would like to quote Ghalib here,

मत पूछ की क्या हाल है मेरा तेरे आगे |

तू देख के क्या रंग है तेरा मेरे आगे ||

Small towns give a heart full of love, compassion, benevolence and brotherhood and add to it a tough, resolute aspiring brain and see where we reach !!!

Inner Circle

Two things that I read in the past week made me write this blog.

Firstly, Warren Buffet in a recent interview said that it’s always better to be with people who are superior in attitude as compared to you. It always helps you to become like them i.e. better.

Secondly, I was reading a book, “Hitler and the Nazi leaders” by John Lattimer. The book is on the psychological analysis of the Nazis tried in the Nuremberg trial of 1945. What I perceived from the book is that no doubt Hitler was an evil but he was well misguided by his inner circle of Goring, Ribbentrop, Himmler, Bormann and others. They not only supported him in his endeavours of peril but most of the times aggravated the situation by suggesting ideas which were oblivious to even Hitler!

Now let’s take the case of Chandrashekhar Azad. His inner circle was the pillars of strength on whose support he was able to convert his brilliant ideas into successes. So has been the case in many other stories told and untold.

So, what we observe is that the inner circle has a great influence on one’s actions and thinking. So it becomes duly important in one’s part to select his inner circle wisely.

A good inner circle always helps in keeping our actions checked and doesn’t allow us to stray from our destined correct path. They constantly remind us of the consequences of what may happen when we go wrong and if needed bring us to our senses by resorting to rebukes. They encourage us in our successes and help us to achieve greater heights in our life. The immense contribution and support they bring in is immeasurable and can’t be paid back.

A wrong inner circle of friends will not only discourage in harder times but will certainly lead us to doom when we take even a small step in the wrong direction. Most often they will expedite it instead of braking!

It is the human nature to be praised and chaperoned. No one likes his actions and thinking to be questioned leave alone be challenged. Because of this inherent nature, we tend to populate our inner circle with persons who never say no to anything we do. Others who are well-wishers but speak with their tongue-in-cheek attitude phase out of our lives. Alas, it’s so true for almost everyone we know!

It must be kept in mind that we don’t have any control in selecting our blood relations but we certainly have the utmost control on whom we can consider to be our near ones, the persons of the inner circle who always support in distress and encourage in success.

So, let’s exercise our right wisely and become “better” as Buffet suggested.

The Corrupted Life

2G, CWG, ISRO, Radia,…., scam, scam, scam everywhere. The situation is such that whenever you open a day’s newspaper it’s either an Arab uprising in some Tahrir square or a new Indian scam bigger and exorbitant than the last one. Even the PM has accepted that scams do exist at the higher levels and Indian politics is getting murkier with every passing day because of coalition (a)dharma. And the biggest loser is the exchequer who is losing without even knowing about the beneficiaries and the benefits. So, a common man has all the rights in the world to abuse the hideous beneficiaries. But is the common man corruption free ???

So, I thought why not think about the amount of little corruptions, the “चाय पानी ”, the exchequer does in his life. Let’s start from his birth or say little before the birth..

Just before his birth, generally the father has to shelve a few tenners to get good service at the nursing home where the exchequer is to be born. After the birth, another few hundreds and a few tenners have to be provided to facilitate the birth certificate from the local municipality, corporation or the panchayat as the case may be. Whatever be the size of your locale, the money has to flow out of your pockets! Then a few years go without any trouble. As soon as the kid becomes eligible for the kindergarten, the parents have to go through an agonizing interview and whether they clear it or not they have to provide the capitation fee to a tune of few thousands to get the school of their choice. The same procedure is repeated when the kid has to go from kindergarten to primary school. The school life one can say to be the life of least corruption. The 10 years of school life is the time when one’s conscience and morals have a clean slate.

Come class XIIth, the whole country’s youth will rush to the local bodies for certificates of domicile, caste, validity, income and what else. And as we all know, all these will be completed only when provided with the facilitation money. And that is what we do to get them done. If one is not lucky his admission to the college of his choice is again achieved only after paying the required capitation fee. After getting the degree, a lot of ‘setting’ both in terms of money as well as contacts has to be done to land in the job of our choice. Even after getting the job, the bribes continue to get the required promotions. In day to day life, ‘चाय पानी ’ has to be provided for getting trivial jobs like getting a railway ticket to getting your plumbing done. And don’t ask what we have to pay through to get jobs like getting a telephone connection to be done swiftly and easily. Such is the world that the bribe doesn’t leave you even after your death. Your kin has to pay up to get your death certificate swiftly so that you can be cremated peacefully!

This act of getting our job done easily and swiftly, we resort to every day bribery in our life in form of ‘चाय पानी ’, capitation fee, facilitation fee or by any other name. So, when some uncommon among the we commons reach the top posts they can’t resist their natural way of asking and paying and land up with such big scams !!!!!!

One of my colleague rightly says that it’s time to add another monkey to Gandhiji’s existing “Hear No Evil”, “See No Evil” and “Speak No Evil” monkeys. And this monkey would be “Think No Evil”! Hope so that may reduce the evil of bribery if not completely eradicate it.

What's A Good Teacher !

The three best things that I’ve learnt from my teachers over the years about the student-teacher relationships are as chronicled below: 

1)      A teacher is most happy when his ward exceeds him in the successes attained. – Prof. R. K. Pathak, Dept. of Physics, University of Pune. 

2)      The students are the most neglected entity in the academic system. – Prof. C. K. Desai, Bajaj Science Centre, Wardha. 

3)      Teaching is the profession which helps you to stay young as you are surrounded by the youth all your life. – Prof. A. A. Saakle, Dharampeth Science College, Nagpur.

If a teacher can achieve the first and avoid the second, he can enjoy the third to the fullest.

Let us start with the second. It has always been seen that apart from a few academically brilliant students, all others are mostly not given proper attention they require. The teacher is mostly preoccupied with the smart guys and is partial to them in one or more ways possible. But the other not-so-academically-bright students do have other qualities which can be groomed and encouraged. I personally believe that if a person is smart and industrious in developing at least one of his qualities, not necessarily academic, he can do enough justice to other aspects of his life as well. Now it is upto someone to just encourage him. Parents by large are always encouraging but they are so close to us that many a times we don’t consider their opinion to be worthwhile. Here a good observant and helpful teacher can make the difference! I was very fortunate to hear Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam recently. On the behaviour expected from a teacher he said that until and unless a teacher thinks his student to be his brother, sister, son, daughter, grandson or granddaughter, he would never be able to teach well. How correct is he!

Coming to the first, it is very important for a teacher to cherish achievements of his wards in every walk of life. If he is not able to do that, it has to be believed that he is too proud of his knowledge and such pride is sure to bring a fall. A jump of joy, a word of praise or a pat on the back can create wonders. So always be prepared to do that.

The third aspect is quite a wide one. Youth I believe is not a state of our body but a state of our mind. And a mind stays youthful when it is active and ready to accept new ideas. Teaching, like any other profession, spans over quite a few decades of one’s life. In this ever changing world, it is a pre-requisite that we keep on with time or we would be like stagnant water in a pool. Remember stagnant water stinks and nobody likes stink. A good teacher is one who remains a student for all his life. One of my colleagues rightly puts that ‘Knowledge + Experience = Wisdom’. A teacher obviously has the knowledge and with experience he can achieve wisdom which he in turn can impart to his students. And experience doesn’t just come with age, it comes with continuous learning. If one can achieve this wisdom, he will never turn old!

Continuing with Dr. Kalam; he said that when a wise teacher enters a classroom, he is surrounded by an aura around him. It seems as if knowledge is radiating from him. It’s a pity that we see such an aura around only a few teachers. Such a teacher is revered by all and acts as a source of inspiration to his students. He also held the primary school teachers in very high esteem. According to him, the three most important persons in the life of a human being are his parents and the primary school teacher. He also quoted that what a person learns in the first years of his life stays with him for his entire life. He also added that neither God nor the devil could change the kid after that.

I myself believe in this as most of my habits were sown in that age which are ripe and being cultivated now. If you introspect, you will find it true for you as well. I’m lucky to have excellent parents but I’m luckier that I’ve had teachers who have guided and showered love all through my student life. They were always there when I needed them. Along with my parents, they have helped me to become what I am today. Kabir has rightly said that the teacher is no less than God in the following couplet:

गुरु गोबिन्द दोउ खड़े काके लागूँ पाँय |
बलिहारी गुरु आपने गोबिन्द दियो बताय ||

I myself try to imitate my teachers when I teach. I hope I will be successful in imparting at least 10% of whatever I’ve learnt from my teachers to my students.

How I Meet My Accidents !!!

Accidents and I go hand in hand. I can meet accidents whenever and wherever. Luckily, apart from two, none has been near-fatal. Freaky accidents have been the part and parcel of my life. Injuring in and around my limbs is a common place event. I’ll try chronicling few of the incidents which I can remember at this juncture.

1991: SNS Playground, Tumsar:

I was a sprightly young kid of about 6 years. My KG school didn’t have more than two rooms and a playground was out of question. But SNS had a big playground and we used to play during the lunch hours. Sometimes we played football; sometimes we just ran and sometimes just fooled around. One fine afternoon, I decided to jump over the hurdles that had been kept for a senior competition. The first hurdle that I jumped was at a lower height and I easily passed it. Buoyed by my friends, I tried to jump the next hurdle and crashed onto it. I injured my left knee badly and not to say about the scolding I got from Usha aunty first and from my father later!

  1997 / 1998: The Road Outside My Uncle’s House, Ketugram:

Learning how to ride a bicycle has been one of my worst nightmares. It took me almost half a year to learn to ride. I was at my uncle’s home and decided to try my luck with his bicycle as well. The road was uneven and I was a lousy amateur. I just lost control of the cycle after riding a few yards and injured my left knee again!

  2003: Board Chemistry Practical, Holy Home, Serampore:

I’m not a very bright student when it comes to chemistry. In fact Organic chemistry has been one of the biggest unsolvable mysteries of my life. I was even worst at the practicals. In the final board practicals, I poured sulfuric acid more than the required and lo there occurred a fast reaction and all the contents in the test tube flew towards me. Some part of it left a burning sensation in my left eye. Some of it burnt my upper side of my hand but the worst affected was my Hall-Ticket. A hole adorns it on the top corner. I was completely shaky during the rest of the practical examination and was lucky to finish it!

  2003: Bawankar Chowk, Tumsar:

This incident again involves the bicycle. After my Higher Secondary results, I’d come back to Maharashtra for good. Before my admission in the college, I was living with my mother and brother in Tumsar. My brother used to go on his cycle to the bus-stop, leave his cycle there and go to school. One fine rainy morning, I forcefully persuaded him that I would drop him to the bus stop. He relented but I forced him to such an extent that he had to accept. It was more of a work to remove my boredom rather than sibling love. I lost control of my bicycle at Bawankar square and hit a motorcycle side-on. He also lost his balance and fell on the road. My brother fell on the road as well. The motorcycle fell on the rider and I was perched on his fuel tank. I’d lost my senses for a while and got up only when the rider said, “अब  उठ तो जाओ!”. I was lucky not to be beaten by the bystanders.

  2006: The Drain, Dharampeth Science College, Nagpur:

This incident by far injured me the most. My friend (name withheld) had bought a new Nokia 6600 and used to load it with video clips. In our college, there’s a raised paltform near the drain where we used to sit and spend our college hours. One fine afternoon, my friend said that he had brought some new clips and hence I hurried to see them. But the clips were not new at least to me and hence I decided to leave. When I hurriedly tried to leave, I lost my balance and fell half into the drain. The scene was worth watchable. My left leg was in the drain, right one was on the platform. My complete weight was on my left wrist which was by the way on the edge of the drain. I got up and didn’t feel pain at all in the first place. But within few minutes I was writhing with pain. There was no pain reliever available in the college and the chemistry lab offered me the IR lamp for momentary heated relief. Kaustubh dropped me to my room where my house-owner massaged me and tied the crepe bandage. For days I couldn’t tie my watch, sleep with my weight on my left side and even couldn’t wear the belt. It took me almost five minutes to dress up. It is one incident which will remain itched in my memory for long.

  2008: Outside CST, Mumbai:

I had gone with Barrel to CST. Everybody generally crosses the road in front of CST using the subway. Even Barrel wanted to do the same. But yours truly decided to walk through the road, jump the divider and then get to the other side. On any other time of the day, it would have been impossible given the traffic over there. But that night the traffic was thin and was inviting such an action. So, we started crossing the road. Suddenly, we saw a light approaching towards us from the JJ flyover. Barrel stopped on his tracks but I decided to continue. The biker was speeding at break-neck speed and on seeing him approaching me with such a speed, I realized my mistake and started running towards the divider. The biker missed me by a whisker. What remained with me was a pounding heart and choicest of abuses by the rider and Barrel. That day I first saw death!

  2010: On The Highway, Warthi, Bhandara

This incident is the newest and would have resulted in not one but three serious injuries. I’ve bought a new bike and learnt to ride a motor-bike only a few months back. For a month or so I drove only in Nagpur. For my birthday, I had to go home (120 Kms from Nagpur) and I decided to travel in my new bike. I reached home safely and brought it back without any hassles. That gave me the confidence and I took it back a fortnight later. From Nagpur, I took it to college (60 Kms). I delivered 3 lectures in the morning session, had my lunch and took a half day leave. I started for my home and was driving at ease down the highway. The next thing I know was that I was on the other side of the road. My vehicle had rammed onto another vehicle and its owners were shouting at me. I was totally lost about what had happened. They said that I apparently had crossed the road at a very high speed and rammed onto them. I was at my wits end as I could not remember a single thing related to the incident and their shouting was confusing me more. It was apparently clear that it was my fault and I had hit them in state of delirium. I paid for their vehicle’s repair and returned home. Luckily, my vehicle was unhurt apart from a few scratches. I was hurt though on my left ankle and right knee which I realized only after reaching home. I was lucky to survive in such an incident.

These are some of the incidents that I remember. Freaky accidents where I incur minor injuries are a regular routine and need not be chronicled!

The reasons given by different people for these occurrences are different. My mother feels that I’ve a ‘restless mind’. My father thinks that I ‘think way too much’ and that also on different topics while doing an altogether different job. Some of my friends feel that it has to do something 'wrong with my brain’ while some think that it is due to ‘lack of fitness’. Whatever may be the reasons, I hope I stay away from these freaky accidents for a while as of now. Amen.